Malting apparatus.



W. H. PRINZ MALTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 22, 1903.

Pafiented May 24, 19m

4 EH21] TS-SHEET 1.

W. E, PRINZ. MALTIN G APPARATUS.

- APPLIOATI ON FILED AUG 22, 1903. 958,821 Patented May 24, 1910.

4 SHEBTB-BEBET 2.

W. H. PRINZ. MALTING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1903.

Patented May 24, 1910.

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V//////.// N 7 Z ANDREW a GRIWAM co. FNOYO-u] W. H. PRINZ. MALTING- APPARATUS. APELIGATIOH FILED AUG. 22, 1903. 958,821., Pafieniuad May 24, mm.

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PNUTO-LHNOGRAFNERS. WISNINGYQN. D C

a as: Ky??? 8 V mm m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. PRINZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MALTING- APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM H. Pnmz, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Malting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to apparatus for malting grain, and particularly to the malting of grain by what is known as the pneumatic system. The malting of grain has heretofore been practiced in accordance with various systems. One of the most prominent systems consists in placing the steepedgrain in open compartments provided on the floor of the malt-house, and forcing air through the grain, which is stirred occasionally, by mechanical appliances. Another system which has been used to some extent, but, so far as I am aware, with little or no success, is known as the drum system, in which the steeped grain is placed in long cylinders or drums, which are rotated slowly while air is forced through the drums.

The object of my present invention is to provide an improved malting apparatus which will combine the advantages of the two systems above referred to, and which will be free from the objections which have heretofore militated against the success of the drum system. This I accomplish, broadly speaking, by providing a rotary drum which is divided into a plurality of malt compartments, suitable means being provided for supplying attemperated air to the grain in the compartments. While this is, generically, the principal feature of my invention, it also includes further improvements, which will be hereinafter fully described.

What I regard as new is set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 2 is an end View; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on line 4+4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating part of the intermediate portion of the shell; Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail illustrating the intermediate portion of the drum; Fig. 7 is a partial sectional Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 22,

View illustrating one of the air valves; Fig.

Patented May 24:, 1910.

1903. Serial No. 170,414.

8 is a horizontal section of a malt-house, showing the upper floor containing the steep tanks, the attemperating apparatus, and the fan for maintaining the current of air; and

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section showing the arrangement of the lower floor, in which the drums are placed.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the application of my invention to a system arranged to operate by air under pressure, the air being forced into the compartments of the drum, whence, after passing through the malt, it is discharged through the perforated casing of the drum into the malting room, from there passing out either into the open air or to the floor above, as may be desired. I wish it to be understood, however, that the generic features of my invention may be applied also to systems operating by suction; and they may also be applied to systems in which drums with imperforate casings are employed. The specific application of my invention to such systems, however, is not herein shown or claimed, as I have made separate applications for patents therefor, said applications being Ser. Nos. 170,415 and 170,417, filed August 22, 1903, and No. 215,348, filed July 5, 190 1.

Referring to the drawings, AB indicate two malting compartments of a malting drum, and C an intermediate compartment.

10-11 indicate the two perforated sections of the drum casing, which form the outer walls of the compartments AB, respectively.

12-18 indicate inner heads, to which the inner ends of the sections 1011 are secured, as shown in Fig. 1. Said heads 1213 are set a short distance apart, and are rigidly connected by a series of plates 14, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

15 indicates an imperforate casing, which is connected at its edges to the heads 12-13, and extends around the perimeter of said heads, being substantially concentric with the casing sections 1011. The casing 15, however, does not rotate, its edges being fitted in grooves 16 in the heads 1213', as shown in Fig. 6. The ends of the casing .15 are placed at the under side and fit closely around a fine 17, which extends from below into the compartment .0, as shown in Fig. 1,

so that a substantially air-tight closure is made around said flue.

18 indicates a manhole in the casing 15, which is covered by a slide 19, as shown in Fig. 5.

20 indicates annular plates which are secured to the casing 15 near its edges, as shown in Fig. 6, to strengthen said casing.

21-22 indicate the outer heads of the casing sections 10-11, respectively, as shown in Fig. 1.

23-24 indicate perforated tubes, which are arranged axially in the compartments A-B, respectively, extending longitudinally therethrough, their ends being secured to the heads 21-12 and 22-13, respectively, as shown in Fig. 1.

25-26 indicate annular rails secured upon the outer surfaces of the casing sections 10-11, respectively, near their ends, as shown in Fig. 1.

27 indicates rollers carried in suitable supports 28 whichrollers are adapted to receive the rails 25-26, respectively, so that the drum may rotate freely, the rails 25-26 running upon the rollers 27.

28-29 indicate worm wheels mounted on the sections 10-11 of the drum casing, and engaged by worms 30-31, respectively, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The worms 30-31 are mounted on shafts 32-33, respectively, by which they are rotated, the shafts 32-33 being driven by any suitable mechanism.

By this construction the drum may be caused to rotate at any desired rate of speed.

Each of the drum casings 10-11 is provided with a manhole having a cover 34 arranged in substantially the same way as the manhole cover 19, shown in Fig. 5. The object of the manholes in the casings 10-11 is to provide for the discharge of the contents of the drum-compartments, and therefore said manholes are arranged at or near the longitudinal centers'of the drum compartments, as shown in Fig. 1.

35-36 indicate short imperforate extensions of the tubes 23-24, respectively, which are secured to the heads 21-22, respectively, and project axially therefrom.

37-38-39 indicate air tunnels, which are arranged adjacent to the compartments A-C-B, respectively.

40 indicates a flue connecting the tunnel 37 with the extension 35. To this end'the flue 40 is provided with a T 41 at its upper end, which registers with the extension 35 and is connected therewith by a suitable flanged collar 42, which fits over abutting flanges provided on the extension 35 and the T 41, as shown in Fig. 1.

43 indicates a valve provided in the flue 40, for regulating the flow of air therethrough. Similarly, 44 indicates a flue which connects the tunnel 39 with the extension 36, said flue being provided with a T 45 similar in construction to the T 41, and connected in a similar manner with the extension 36.

'46 indicates a valve in the flue 44. As shown in Fig. 1, the tunnel 38 is connected with the compartment O by the flue 17, which is provided with a valve 47. The upper end of the flue 17 is protected by a perforated plate 48, which rests thereon, as shown in Fig. 1.

49-50 indlcate conveyers arranged below the drum in position to receive and conduct away the malt discharged from the compartments of the drum.

51-52 indicate the casings of the conveyers 49-50, respectively, which, as shown in Fig. 1, project upward toward the sections 10-11 and register with the sides of the manholes in said sections.

As best shown in Fig. 9, a plurality of drums are preferably employed, arranged side by side on the malting floor D, and the conveyers 49-50 and tunnels 37-38-39 extend longitudinally of the apartment, under said drums, so that said conveyers and tunnels serve all the drums in the room.

E indicates an upper floor of the malthouse, on which are located the steep tanks 53, the attemperator 54, and the fan 55 by which air is caused to circulate through the system.

56-57-58 indicate flues, which extend from the attemperator floor E down to the tunnels 37-38-39, respectively, so that by operating the fan 55 air may be forced down said flues into the tunnels, whence it passes up through flues 40 and 44 into the outer ends of the compartments A-B, and through flue 17 into the compartment C, whence it passes. into the compartments A-B at their inner ends, thence passing out through the perforated casing sections 10-11 to the malting room D.

59 indicates a flue connecting the malting room D with the up oer floor E. As best shown in Fig. 7 the flue 59 is simply a hole cut through the floor 60, and is placed adjacent to the outer wall 61 of the malt-house, through which a passage 62 is out. A but terfly valve 63 is pivoted between the flue 59 and the opening 62, so that by rocking said valve the air rising through the fine 59 may either be discharged into the open air or be allowed to pass into the upper room E.

64-65 indicate valve openings through the side walls 66-67 of the malt-house, for controlling the admission of fresh air to the room E.

68 indicates a partition which extends across the room E, and is provided with openings 69-70 for controlling the admission of air from the space around the steep tanks to the fan 55.

71 indicates valves for the openings 69-70.

As shown in Fig. 8, the attemperator 54 is formed of a number of sections 7 2, which are preferably perforated; and in order that the cooling and moistening of the air may be accurately controlled, said sections are connected at one end with a flue 73 provided with a plurality of openings 74: controlled by valves 75, so that the air may be introduced into the attemperator at different points, and in that way its attemperation regulated. Obviously, if the air is caused to pass through the entire series of attemperator sections, it will be cooled and moistened to a greater extent than if it passes through only a part of such sections, as may be done by means of the apparatus described.

76 indicates an opening at one end of the flue 73, for admittin air thereto. Said opening is provided wlth a valve 77.

78 indicates an opening in the opposite end of the flue 73, so that, if desired, air may be caused to pass through said flue without going through the attemperator.

79 indicates a valve for the opening 78.

In operation, the steeped grain is. placed in the compartments AB, being introduced through the openings provided for that purpose. The covers 34 are then closed and the drum set in motion, rotating at the rate of about one and a half revolutions per hour. The air forced through the tunnels 37-39 enters the outer ends of the tubes 23-24L, and at the same time air from the intermediate tunnel 38 enters the inner ends of said tubes, through compartment C. The tubes 232t, being free from malt, the air is uniformly distributed through the compartments, passing out through the malt to the cylindrical casings, through which it is discharged into the malting room, thence passing up through flue 59, either to the open air or to the room E. The rotary movement of the drum maintains the necessary agitation of the grain, but such agitation is not violent enough to do any injury to the sprouts. The grain is therefore thoroughly and uniformly subjected to the action of the attemperated air, resulting in the production of a superior quality of malt.

By providing sectional drums, as described, I am able to make a drum of greater diameter than would otherwise be practicable without interfering with the proper operation of the system. Moreover, my improved construction provides for the ready cleansing of the different compartments, and also for the control of the supply of air, since by adjusting the valves 43,46 and 47 the supply of air may be accurately regulated. In order further to provide for regulation of the air supply, the flues 5657-58 are provided with valves 80, as shown in Fig. 8, said valves being of the ordinary butterfly type.

It should be understood that my invention .to be rotated about a common axis, a sta tionary intermediate compartment, an air conduit communicating with said intermediate compartment, and other means for supplying air to said malting compartments.

3. A malting apparatus, comprising a plurality of malting-compartments adapted to rotate about a common axis, means connecting said malting-compartments so that they rotate in unison, a stationary intermediate compartment, and air conduits communicating with said malting and intermediate compartments.

l. A malting apparatus, comprising a plurality of malting-compartments, means connecting said malting-compartments so that they rotate in unison, a stationary intermediate compartment, and air conduits communicating with each of said malting and intermediate compartments.

5. A malting apparatus, comprising a plurality of malting-compartments coaxially arranged, means connecting said maltingcompartments so that they rotate in unison, a stationary intermediate compartment in communication with the adjacent maltingcompartments, and air conduits communicating with said malting and intermediate compartments.

6. A malting apparatus, comprising a plurality of coaxial malting-compartments,

an intermediate stationary compartment in alinement with said malting-compartments, means connecting said malting-compartments so that they rotate in unison, and air conduits communicating with said compartments.

7. A malting apparatus, comprising a plurality of coaxially arranged rotary externally-perforated malting compartments, means connecting said malting compartments so that they rotate in unison, and air conduits communicating with both ends of each of said malting compartments.

8. A malting apparatus, comprising a plurality of coaxially-arranged externallyperforated malting compartments, an imperforate intermediate compartment be tween said malting compartments, means connecting said malting compartments together, and air conduits communicating with the outer ends of said malting compartments and with said intermediate compartment.

9. A malting apparatus, comprising externally-perforated rotary malting compartments coaxially arranged, a statlonary imperforate compartment between said malting compartments, means connecting said malting compartments so that they rotate in unison, and air conduits communicating, respectively, with said imperforate compart ment and with said malting compartments.

10. A malting apparatus, comprising perforated malting compartments coaxially arranged, intermediate heads between said malting compartments forming an intermediate compartment, means connecting said heads a stationary shell for said intermediate compartment, and air conduits communicating with said compartments, substantially as described.

11. A malting apparatus, composed of perforated end compartments coaxially ar ranged, an intermediate imperforate compartment communicating with said end compartments, means for rotating said end compartments independently of said intermediate compartment, and air conduits communicating, respectively, with said intermediate and end compartments.

12. A malting apparatus, comprising perforated end compartments coaxially arranged, means rigidly connecting said end compartments together, a stationary intermediate compartment, perforated air con duits extending through said end compartments, and an air conduit communicating with said intermediate compartment, sub stantially as described.

13. A malting apparatus, comprising perforated end compartments coaxially arranged, means rigidly connecting said end compartments together, a stationary intermediate compartment, perforated air conduits extending through said end compartments, and an air conduit communicating with said intermediate compartment, substantially as described.

14. A malting apparatus, comprising perforated end compartments coaxially arranged, means rigidly connecting said end compartments together, a stationary intermediate compartment, perforated air conduits extending through said end compartments, and air conduits communicating with said intermediate compartment and with the outer ends of said perforated conduits, substantially as described.

15. A malting apparatus, comprising a stationary intermediate compartment, rotating malting compartments at opposite sides of said intermediate compartment, said malting compartments being perforated, air

.conduits communicating with said intermediate and malting compartments, and means for forcing air through said conduits into said compartments, substantially as described.

16. A malting apparatus, comprising a stationary intermediate compartment, rotating malting compartments at opposite sides of said intermediate compartment, means connecting said malting compartments so that they rotate in unison, and an air conduit communicating with said intermediate compartment.

17 A malting apparatus, comprising a stationary intermediate compartment, rotating malting compartments at opposite sides of said intermediate compartment, air conduits communicating with said intermediate compartment and with the outer ends of said malting compartments, air tunnels communicating with said conduits, an attemperator, and means for forcing air from said attemperator through said tunnels and conduits to said compartments, substantially as described.

18. A malting apparatus, comprising a stationary intermediate compartment, perforated malting compartments at opposite sides of said intermediate compartment, means connecting said malting compartments so that they rotate in unison, means for rotating said malting compartments, and a fan for forcing air into said compart-ments.

19. A malting apparatus, comprising a malting room, an airpassage opening thereinto, a rotary malting apparatus in said room having therein a plurality of ex- [ternally-perforated malting compartments,

said compartments being coaxially arranged, means connecting said compartments together so that they rotate in unison, an intermediate compartment between and communicating with the adjacent malting compartments, air-conduits connected with the outer ends of said compartments, and an air-conduit connected with said intermediate compartment.

20. A malting apparatus, comprising a plurality of malting compartments adapted to rotate about a common axis, a stationary intermediate compartment communicating with said malt-ing compartments, and one or more air-conduits in communication with said compartments, substantially as described.

21. A rotary malting apparatus having a plurality of malt compartments, a stationary intermediate compartment communicating with said malt compartments, and air-conduits in said malt compartments and communicating radially therewith.

22. A rotary malting apparatus having a plurality of malt compartments, a stationary intermediate compartment, and air-conduits in said malt compartments and communicating radially therewith, said airconduits communicating With said intermediate compartment, substantially as described.

23. A rotary malting apparatus having a plurality of malt compartments, a stationary intermediate compartment, air-conduits in said malt compartments and communicating radially therewith, said air-conduits communicating With said intermediate com- 10 partment, and air-conduits communicating with the outer portions of said first-mentioned conduits, substantially as described.

WILLIAM H. PRINZ.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. JACKSON, MINNIE A. HUNTER. 

